Sandy Stern
| Sandy Stern | |
|---|---|
| Born | New York City, New York, United States |
| Occupation | Film producer |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Awards | Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature 2000 Being John Malkovich |
Sandy Stern is an American film producer, best known for his work on the films Pump Up the Volume (1990), Being John Malkovich (1999) and Saved! (2004).
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[edit] Career
Stern's first project, released in 1990, was the teen film Pump Up the Volume, which was nominated for a 1990 Independent Spirit Award for Best Film. He subsequently became executive producer of Equinox and Red Hot, released direct-to-video in 1992 and 1993 respectively.[1] He met rock band R.E.M.'s lead singer Michael Stipe through Stern's friend Samantha Mathis' boyfriend, River Phoenix.[2] At the time, Stern was producing with Sean Penn, and teamed up as producing partners with Stipe looking for a change. Together they executive produced Velvet Goldmine in 1998 and Freak City in 1999. They formed a production company, Single Cell, and their next project was Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze's 1999 film Being John Malkovich.[2] Being John Malkovich won a 2000 Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, and Stern and fellow producers Stipe, Steve Golin and Vincent Landay were nominated for two Producers Guild of America Awards: the Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award and the Vision Award, winning the latter.[3]
Stern and Stipe, teamed with producers Michael Ohoven and William Vince, produced the 2004 independent teen-comedy film Saved!, having spent years trying to persuade major financiers to fund the film, which, according to Stern, was a controversial film "that dealt with religion, that dealt with comedy and religion, that dealt with a gay storyline, and that was basically, it was all a kind of ensemble cast that did not have a Julia Roberts starring in the movie."[4] After its US$9 million-grossing theatrical release through United Artists, Stern approached Elephant Eye Theatrical's CEO Stuart Oken about adapting the film into a musical,[5] which premiered Off Broadway at Playwrights Horizons, New York City in May 2008.[6]
Stern and Stipe are also set to produce the upcoming comedy film Runner-Up, written by Saved! screenwriters Brian Dannelly and Michael Urban and directed by Dannelly, about a beauty pageant contestant who fulfills a community service obligation by holding a pageant at a women's prison.[7]
[edit] Personal life
Stern was raised in New York by Jewish parents.[2] He attended New York University, completing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, but left to pursue filmmaking instead at Vassar College, where he came out as gay.[2] He now resides in Los Angeles, California.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ "SAVED!" (Press release). Verve Pictures. October 29, 2004. http://www.vervepics.com/docs/svdnotes.pdf. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
- ^ a b c d e Stukin, Stacie (November 9, 1999). "Being Sandy Stern". The Advocate. Archived from the original on 2008-04-29. http://web.archive.org/web/20080429210453/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_1999_Nov_9/ai_57155930. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
- ^ "Science Fiction News of the Week: Briefly Noted". Sci Fi Wire. February 28, 2000. Archived from the original on 2008-05-13. http://web.archive.org/web/20080513220821/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue149/news.html. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
- ^ Foley, Jack (2003). "Saved! - Sandy Stern (Producer) Q&A". IndieLondon. http://www.indielondon.co.uk/film/saved_sternQ&A.html. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
- ^ Blankenship, Mark (May 23, 2008). "'Saved' takes wing with prayer". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117986409.html. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
- ^ Jones, Kenneth (May 9, 2008). "First Preview of Saved Is Lost; Musical Will Start May 10". Playbill. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/117597.html. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
- ^ "Michael Stipe and Sandy Stern prepare for Love Creeps". MovieWeb. August 2, 2004. http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEmbjtnvN52Epo. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
